Meet Planned On Risks In Power Projects

The Independent Power Producers Association of India (IPPAI) in association with SGS India, a premier consultancy firm, has planned a series of conferences in Mumbai, Calcutta and Bangalore. The theme of the conferences will be `Risks in power projects in India.

Disclosing this, IPPAI director general Harry Dhaul said the series will be kicked off with a two-day conference here on June 11 and 12. Union power minister S Venugopalachari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi , Deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde, Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel, industrialists R P Goenka, Sajeev Goenka, BSES chairman R V Shahi, and Tisco managing director J J Irani will participate in the series.

 

Dhaul said that in the wake of agitation by environmentalists and public interest litigations, investors were worried that despite government clearance power projects would not take off in the country.

Besides there was always the problem of transmission and distribution losses.

He said it was a myth that transmission and distribution losses were primarily in the rural areas.

Dhaul said that in Delhi alone transmission and distribution losses for totalled 48 to 80 per cent. Handing over of generation and transmission and distribution functions to separate authorities too would not always solve the problem.

Dhaul cited Karnataka as an example where generation was done by Karnataka Power Corporation while transmission and distribution was handled by the state electricity board.

The two bodies were currently engaged in a wrangle over dues amounting to Rs 650 crore.